This eight-inch tall Kubrick of Max from Where The Wild Things Are is fairly cute and totally collectible, which is why they can price it at $149.99. Me? I'd rather have the "My Reusable Bag Makes Me Better Than You" tote, for $9.99. I might even buy one for my sister.

It was actually someone's job to be on nose-quality control for this Barbra Streisand Barbie. Think about that.

Wolverine's leather jacket is awesome, though pricey ($348.99). The Boondock Saints figures have interchangeable heads! Meanwhile. Lucius Malfoy looks like he had a bad experience at the salon. Someone get him a concentrated humectant, STAT!

Yeah yeah yeah. Twilight. I was just noticing how cute Coraline's outfits are. $42 for a set of three? Seems fair. I wish she came with the glow-in-the-dark star spangled sweater, though.

Um. This Bruce Wayne doll. Is hot. Am I weird? Because I really think they did a good job. A scowl like that makes my parts feel funny. And yet: For $205, he really ought to offer to cook dinner. Or, at the very least, vibrate.

I really wish that Anakin Skywalker's robe and boots could be my new blogging outfit. Add a white tee and jeans and you have an ensemble! I'd go to the deli, the post office, etc. It's really a fashion-forward look, right up there with Cloak or Margiela. Until you add the light saber.

The Debbie Harry doll "screams charisma!" But not literally. Unfortunately.

Wait. OMG. Tiny stripper shoes.

Joan Jett's sneakers and wrist bandanna: Love.

I know she was unusual. But she didn't have rick rack on her dress, did she?

Earlier: Entertainment Earth: Where Your Fangirl Dreams Come True

Harry & David's Merry, Mouth-Watering Christmas With A Crunch
Free People: Let's Pretend It's The Summer Of '69
Anthropologie's Hazy Shade Of Winter
Fetchdog, Drs Fosters & Smith: Howliday Humiliation For Dogs & Cats
Dear Santa: Have You Seen The December J. Crew?
Barneys: Wooing With Witticisms & Wallet-Emptying Wares
Ashro: Stop Being Such A Slob And Get Yourself A Suit, Hat & Wig
19 Crappy & Crazy Christmas Gifts From Sky Mall
Silver Belles & Butt Floss: Christmas At Frederick's Of Hollywood
Preclears On Your List? Shop The Scientology Holiday Catalog

A remote-controlled zombie with a brain-shaped remote makes quite the stocking stuffer.

So many winners on this page, but the golden fertility idol pen holder and the Lost Ark bank are the ones that really caught my eye. The legless Short Round statue is terrifying, and the Delorean is cool, but not super useful.

Ooh — sure to be a hot toy come Christmastime! They made the doll of Tiana from The Princess And The Frog super pretty. The plush frogs are cute too, and there must be someone you know who's dying for a Slimer bank?

Attention Twihards! You can choose from THREE different kinds of Sparkle Vamp. There's the Byronic effete version; the über-pale Barbie version and the "very detailed" sick of Hollywood bullshit model. ZOMGSPARKLEVAMP4EVA! Question: Where is my Buff Werewolf? Team Jacob has been robbed.

In case you didn't believe that Robert Pattinson's glare had been recreated: Believe.

Prefer wizards to sparkle vamps? Draco Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange dolls should satisfy you.

Ben Linus bobblehead: Creeptastic!

Remember when Strawberry Shortcake got a makeover? This is what she looks like now. Shed a tear for your destroyed childhood.

Can we just pretend we didn't see the pages of busty Anime girls with removable clothing? No? Dammit.

When I say I need an R2D2 USB hub, I mean now.

Question: Is the Heidi Klum Barbie supposed to look like Heidi Klum? Because it doesn't. (The legs. So thin. I cry.)

Question: If you purchase a zombie oil painting, have you made an intelligent art-buying decision? As in, the kind that takes BRAINS?

Question: Can you believe that there is a Twilight flash drive — complete with Cullen family crest — and it's actually pretty cool? (ZOMG WHAT AM I SAYING? I HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED BY THE SPARKLE VAMP)

Question: May I please have life-size versions of the Jonathan Adler Barbie dress — AND LAMP — for my wardrobe and bedroom?

Earlier: Entertainment Earth: Weird Gifts For The Freaks & Geeks On Your List

[Brentwood, September 1. Image via Flynet]

The Daily Mail seems to think that the Wackibun, which is what I'm deeming this particular 'do, is the next big thing in hairstyles, as Posh Spice does tend to set off tress crazes every time she switches up her style. But is the Wackibun a do or a don't? Let's ask a few style mavens what they think.

Cathy: "I have to start wearing my hair in a bun!? Like I need another bun to worry about! I have two that are driving me crazy already, if you know what I mean!!! That was a joke about my insecurities!!!! Did my mother put you up to this? ACK! ACK! ACK!" [Ed. note- Cathy then left the room, came back with a cinnamon bun, and deadpanned: "Call me when we get back to the cinnamon bun fad." Oh, Cathy!]


Stacey McGill:"Her problem is that she's not New York Cool. She wants to be, but she's just not, I'm afraid. My friend Laine, well, my ex-friend Laine, she was wearing that bun years ago. Maybe if she accessorized with a hot pink headband and a pair of flamingo earrings, she'd be in better shape. Otherwise, this isn't a do. It's more like "doo-doo." Oh my gosh! Sorry! That was mean. I'll try to be kinder to the fashionably challenged in the future. Has she ever considered a perm? That would be great!"


Marge Simpson: "She never smiles, does she? Maybe she needs a little pizazz in her life! A blue perm has always done the trick for me. Well, that, and feeding my gambling and road rage addictions. Do you think she wants to borrow the Canyonero for a spin? I mean, come on! Live a little, lady!"


Minerva McGonagall: "Do I honestly look as if I have time to talk about such trivial things? A woman's hair should be the least of her concerns. I wear a bun for practical, not fashionable reasons. Perhaps you should read Hairus WhoCarus: A Comprehensive History Of Inane Questions before returning to my classroom."


Regina George: "That is the ugliest effing hairstyle I have ever seen."


Peggy Hill: "Well, as a fashionista—do you know that word, 'fashionista?' I believe it is Espanol. I'm a substitute Spanish teacher, you know. So I know these things. Anyway, as a fashionable modern woman, I've been wearing a bun for many years. As we say in Texas, "The higher the hair, the better a person you are overall." I call it the "Pegabun," though. You should update your definition accordingly. Hoo yeah!"


Maxine, Famous Greeting Card Curmudgeon: "You want to talk about buns? You can kiss my bun, lady!"


Little Red Riding Hood:"Oh, dude, don't ask me. I had a terrible haircut last week. Why do you think I wear this hood everywhere? It's not for fun!"


Princess Leia: "Needs more braids, I think. She should probably also move her buns to the side of her face, as that's the royal thing to do. It helps if they look like cinnamon buns. Cathy was right after all."


Cathy: "I'm right? I'm right!!! ACK ATTACK comin' atcha, Beckham!"


Victoria Beckham Unveils Posh New Hairstyle [DailyMail]

Now I know I'm not the only person who isn't interested in seeing Star Trek, despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews, the exciting trailers, the incessant marketing campaign, and the recommendations from friends who swear that it's the most fun they've had at the movies in a very long time. But it kind of seems like it, you know?

For a while, I tried to feign interest, nodding along as people went on about how psyched they were to see the film, trying to get caught up in the hype by watching the trailers again, etc. But the truth is, I've just never been into Star Trek. I can appreciate it for what it is, and I respect it, but for whatever reason, it never spoke to me. I know that the Star Trek universe has been a life-changing (and, in some cases, life-saving) experience for some people, but I never quite gave it the spin it probably deserved. In some ways I think it's a matter of exposure: my father is a Star Wars geek; Obi-Wan was the hero in my household, not Spock. One of my favorite memories is the day I took my dad to the theater to see Episode III: when the opening credits came on, my dad grabbed his soda and his eyes lit up like a 12-year-old's. It's awesome to see your parents in their geeky element; for a few hours, my dad wasn't an insurance man with bills to pay and meetings to deal with: he was a Jedi.

Anyway, the reason I'm bringing this up is because I actually feel guilty for not being into the new Star Trek film. It's a weird time to be a geek, because, well, everyone is kind of a geek these days, and it seems that the notion of what constitutes a true geek is someone who is into EVERY bloody so-called nerdy phenomenon out there. "I thought you were into that kind of thing," one of my friends said after I admitted my "Whatever, Star Trek" stance, as if being into graphic novels, wearing coke bottle glasses and braces as a kid, and being able to recall passages from The Silmarillion also means you have to be a certified Trekkie. I actually felt, momentarily, like a traitor to all things nerdy.

But here's the thing, you guys. There are many shades to the geek rainbow. Yes, there are Trekkies and Ringers out there, but Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, comic books, graphic novels, vampires, zombies (ugh, and that's another train I'm not hopping on. Whatever, zombies), pirates; all of these things are mainstream at this point, enjoyed by people who may not be "true" fans but who celebrate the existence of such phenomena just the same. Anyone who reads our brilliant sister blog io9 (and you should be reading it—it's great) can see that the science-fiction world is touching all elements of society and that things that were once strictly the property of super geeks are now out there for everyone to enjoy—for better or for worse.

In any case, I'll probably see Star Trek at some point. But I'm not going to feel bad if I miss it. And I'm also not going to turn in my geek card just because I'd rather hang out with Samwise than Spock. And if you don't like it, you can just kiss my Tulkas.

[Image via Natalie Dee.]

In the clip at left, Haskins takes a look at the Schick Quattro ads in which ladies trim their bush, Australian ads where a woman is shown frolicking with her beaver, and a tampon commercial that depicts Mother Nature delivering her monthly gift in person. Clearly, we must devise natural metaphors for our vaginas, for, as Haskins explains, "we are ladies and when our delicate lady parts are mentioned we cannot bear it." Which is why, at her suggestion, we will now only refer to our genitalia as our "Sarlacc the sand pit from Return of the Jedi."

Sarah Haskins in Target Women: Your Garden [Current]

Earlier: Schick Quattro Ads Are About As Subtle As Bai Ling's Wardrobe
Leave It To Beaver
Feminine Hygiene Commercials Are Rarely Genius
Sarah Haskins Overwhelmed By Oscars "Ex-Plosion"
Sarah Haskins Calls Out Jez Commenters
Condoms, Cleaning Supplies & Crap: A Q&A With Sarah Haskins
Sarah Haskins Worries That Ann Curry's Life Is In Danger
New Year, New You: Sarah Haskins Teaches You How To Diet
Sarah Haskins Wishes You Happy Period Control
Sarah Haskins Targets The View
Sarah Haskins Has A Problem With Marketing Family Meals To Moms
Brides, Botox & Yogurt: Sarah Haskins Targets Those Who Target Women

[London, April 10. Image via Getty.]

The 86 piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir perform during the world premiere of 'Star Wars: A Musical Journey' at the O2 Arena in east London, on April 10, 2009. The show features an extensive selection of composer John Williams' scores from all six Star Wars movies in a two-hour musical event which includes scenes from the movies and live narration. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

Earlier: New Carrie Fisher Memoir: Mom Got Me A Vibrator For Xmas

It's really tough to decide which is more awesome: The Indiana Jones who's been amputated at the waist? The "extremely articulated" Batman, whom one could misread as being "extremely articulate"? Sorta loving Dumbledore and his phoenix, but the best thing here is definitely the Ark of the Covenant business card holder. Thou shalt not gaze upon my fax number, or thy face wilt melt!

Surely you have a friend who hasn't let go of her My Little Pony love? Wouldn't she dig a diner? Or a pony with brushable hair and her own radio-controlled scooter?

Perhaps you have an evil little sister for whom this would be an appropriate present?

Severus Snape! Unfortunately, he looks like a nun with a bad (drug) habit.

Whether you know someone who loves Hitchcock or hates Barbie, this will be the right peck pick.

Twelve inch talking David Bowie from Labyrinth? Want! Love the part in the movie when he says, "Fear me. Love me. Do as I say… And I will be your slave."

So many choices here. Over on the left, there's Power Girl, who is "realistically proportioned." Here on the right there's the Barbie Wonder Woman. But down below, there's Amazon Warrior Wonder Woman, who comes without the cumbersome cape and bears a battle-ax and shield instead. Fierce!

Tons and tons of Beatles stuff says "Love, love me do."

Dude. Everything Lebowski-inspired except the white Russian. And stuff for Dexter fans, too!

Think you it odd, spending over $100 on a Yoda figure? Believe not in the force, you do. Understand not the awesomeness.

A fully-functioning R2D2 that guards your room and follows you around? Must-have.

It's unsettling that this figure allows you to take Heath Ledger's head off, no? Maybe this "fan" stuff goes too far. And the price is rather high.

Ah, yes. The Santa dreidel, "sure to confound and confuse both Jews and gentiles," makes everything better. And it's priced to move.

Entertainment Earth [Official Site]

LATOYA: And here's Johnny!

MEGAN: I would never have expected that as your nickname!

LATOYA: LOL. Megan, we have a lot to cover today. The headlines seem good AND I got to talk to Lorelei about national security and terrorism. But first...

MEGAN: Ed Rendell is an insensitive, sexist jerk.

LATOYA: That seems to be going around lately. It's so textbook too — of course Napolitano must be a career woman, she has no family! I liked Campbell Brown's response.

MEGAN: I think it's a communicable disease, passed around by slapping one another's asses in the locker room.

LATOYA: Agreed. We should pass a no-locker-room-ass-slapping ordinance on Capitol Hill.

MEGAN: She is pretty awesome. But, no, it has to stop earlier! Ed Rendell didn't become a sexist late in life. He caught the bug early on! It's rotted his brain, like the syph.

LATOYA: You know, some people just can't be helped. But he should watch his back. Obama is bringing a lot of career women with him.

MEGAN: And some of them even have families and yet can totally do their jobs!!!

LATOYA: Come on Megan — you know they are all just exceptions to the rule.

MEGAN: Right. Women, being less smart and productive than men, have to give up on a family or a social life and work 19-20 hours a day just to kick ass at their jobs. If they have a family, well, they're really just superwomen. Maybe having kids makes you more productive? If you're a woman, that is.

LATOYA: Yup, because obviously, men don't have any help — they just have the aptitude. It's not like there's some kind of system cough patriarchy cough that gives them options and supports their careers working 19 and 20 hour days. But some men seem have resisted some of that conditioning. Did you see David Paterson getting all worked up that no women were nominated to the NY Court of Appeals Judge position?

MEGAN: He's so fucking hot when he's getting all angry.

"What we really wanted to do is just publicly acknowledge ... the disappointing fact that they spanned the globe and couldn't find a woman in New York state that was qualified to serve as the chief judge," he said.

LATOYA: You know, for someone who got drop kicked into the position, Paterson is kicking some ass.

MEGAN: Can you believe that the big boys of old New York politics didn't want him?

LATOYA: Oh, I have a few ideas why. But too bad suckas! Paterson is going to milk this 'till the cow is bone dry! In other news, Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen thought she was being "punked" when she got a congrats call from Obama so she hung up on him. Twice.

"I thought it was one of the radio stations in South Florida playing an incredible, elaborate, terrific prank on me," Ros-Lehtinen told the newspaper. "They got Fidel Castro to go along. They've gotten Hugo Chavez and others to fall for their tricks. I said, 'Oh, no, I won't be punked."'

You know, we always talk about the toll MTV takes on the youth of America — but obviously, there is an unseen victim of reality TV shenanigans.

MEGAN: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen wasn't scared of being the next Chavez on the radio, she was scared of being the next Palin, thinking she was talking to Sarkozy.

LATOYA: Hahahah — good point, I had forgotten that one.

MEGAN: Or she's just heniously insecure:

When an amused Obama called again, Ros-Lehtinen he was either “very gracious” to reach across the aisle by contacting her, or “had run out of folks to call, if you are truly calling me.”

LATOYA: Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you the GOP.

MEGAN: I mean, the top Republican woman in Congress and the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — the week after a major terrorist attack AND the week Obama is announcing his team to work on foreign affairs — and she doesn't know why he would call her. Ladies, when I say things like "don't undervalue your contributions at work to people," this is what I'm talking about.

LATOYA: Word. She is not doing any favors to the cause. But now, let's chat about someone else who is rocking it out for women. As you know, Megan, I'm more social justice inclined. I only follow politics because I have to.

MEGAN: Yeah, I'm an addict.

LATOYA: So, I've been reading the terrorism reports with some interest and I had a ton of questions. Luckily, I happen to know a national security expert.

Lorelei Kelly (Washington, DC): Lorelei Kelly is a national security specialist working to educate elected leaders and the American public about security challenges revealed by 9/11. She is the Policy Director of the Real Security Initiative of the White House Project, a non-partisan organization whose mission is to increase the influence of women in media, culture and politics. [Note - she just left this gig, and is working with various military groups to draft National Security recommendations for the new administration.] Kelly's professional background includes teaching at Stanford University's Center on Conflict and Negotiation, working as Senior Associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, a DC think tank, and working on bipartisan national security in Congress. She founded "Security for a New Century" a study group that supports cutting-edge knowledge on foreign policy and defense issues for Congressional members and staff. Kelly attended the Air Command and Staff College program of the US Air Force as well as programs at the National Defense University and Army War College. She co-authored, with Dr. Elizabeth Turpen, a handbook for citizens entitled "Policy Matters: Educating Congress on Peace and Security" and produced a civil-military dialogue guide entitled "A Woman's Guide to Talking About War and Peace" with Dana Eyre USAR. She blogs regularly at democracyarsenal.org and www.huffingtonpost.com

I called her up last night, and we talked about the media, national security, where we are screwing up on terrorism, and what people can actually do.

MEGAN: Other than put their heads in the sand or use people's fears to increase the power and invasiveness of the state's security apparatus?

LATOYA: LOL — exactly. Some people seem to have noticed that move isn't working so well. So check this out — according to Lorelei, there has been no debate on the military budget since 1985. It is difficult to define, people don't want to talk about it, and it is not auditable" — we essentially can't measure what we are getting for what we are spending. Currently, the defense budget is 700 billion, the DoD just asked for 500 million more, and war spending is not counted in this budget.

MEGAN: Well, and part of the problem is that there is no public debate on the military budget, and much of it remains utterly classified as though knowing what we spend on porta-potties in Iraq will help the terrorists win. At best, we get a big number that no one really listens to and no explanation of what it was spent on.

LATOYA: Exactly. And when I talked about government graft earlier in the year, I pointed out how there are defense contractors who are not performing the services they are paid for and yet they can phone a friend and start bidding on contracts again.

MEGAN: And not just bidding, either. Winning. I mean, bidding is for companies that aren't well-connected enough to the Administration to finagle no-bid contracts for themselves.

LATOYA: That's true too! And the worst part is that what we are doing isn't working. Lorelei told me, "Generals coming back from Iraq that say maybe 20% of the problems there have military solutions. All the rest of the problems are about rule of law, girl's education, ideological alternatives, governments that work." She also broke down a big failure in counter terrorism measures that explains why we are wasting so much money:

"It's like spending 9 billion dollars on missile defense (which has never worked). This year, we spent 9 billion - the number is over 130 billion since it started in the 80s. But we don't secure docks and ports, we only apply maybe 400 million to that, and we only inspect 6 to 7% of ports." Lorelei mentions that most terrorists are able to move freely between ports, mainly because of their lack of oversight. And if terrorists were to try to move questionable materials, the port system is the safest as the security is so lacking. "The biggest thing is that our government loans out inspectors to areas that need the help - but since we haven't funded the program, transnational shipping is vulnerable. We have to be there with alternatives at every level."

MEGAN: We need to stop calling it "missile defense" and go back to calling it "star wars" because that was much more effective at conveying to people the fact that it was incredibly expensive and a cool idea that we don't have the capacity to do.

LATOYA: Good point. From now on, we will always refer to it as Star Wars for the purposes of Crappy Hour.

MEGAN: Also, let us point out that where we are citing part of it in Eastern Europe is also causing a large part of our diplomatic problems with Russia. So we are citing a Star Wars site in order to protect our European allies from getting nuked by a pissed off Russia, thus pissing off Russia and tempting them to aim their nukes at our allies in Western Europe.

LATOYA: Lorelei also points out that a friend on the ground (in Afghanistan) told her that a tarp set up in Afghanistan could defeat a 2 million dollar plane. She said "We are fighting this battle with the wrong tools. Whenever terrorist attacks have been foiled, it's come from Scotland Yard, Interpol, or the FBI. It's really local police work. This stuff is preventive work."

MEGAN: And that's not even to mention the need to actively cooperate with the Russians to secure nuclear materials to keep them out of the hands of terrorists eager to use a suitcase nuke or dirty bomb, which could then be snuck in through one of our ill-secured ports.

LATOYA: Oh right - speaking of Europe and Russia, Lorelei made a good point on how the nature of warfare as changed:

"The threats used to come from strong states. Now they come from weak states. The paradigm has been turned on its head. Pakistan is far more dangerous than N. Korea - with N. Korea, we can talk in a way that we know. There's one guy who you know is in charge and who exercises control. Pakistan doesn't have any centralized power - [a threat] could come from anywhere."

MEGAN: As India just found out.

LATOYA: Yeah, and how do you fight that? They are trying to talk to the government and Pakistani government is like "Yo - we don't know!"

MEGAN: Well, the parts of the Pakistan government willing and enabled to talk that was, indeed, not involved that is.

LATOYA: Yeah, that's a problem too. And before I forget, remember that article Anna sent through on the WMDs on Tuesday?

MEGAN: I mean, with all the pirates from Somalia running around trying to hijack cruise ships and stealing oil tankers and shit... Failed and weak states are seeming way more dangerous than Russia. You mean the one where we're about to get it? Yeah, how could I forget.

LATOYA: Well, the first thing Lorelei said when I sent her the link was:

"These kinds of reports are easily oversensationalized. It's really important not to lump all of these things together. Chemicals are very different from nuclear, which are very different from biological. Biological terrorism by pandemic disease can either be natural (an accident) or man introduced. The best response to a biological attack is the hospital staff in your era. The problem is there is never enough - enough communication between labs and hospital teams, enough beds, enough doctors, enough of anything."

MEGAN: Well, that's totally not depressing at all, and about what we said about it the other day, too.

LATOYA: By the way, Lorelei also gave me a link we can use to check your state's preparedness for a biological or chemical attack. They rank all the state heathcare systems. In short: We're screwed. But back to the cashflow — according to Lorelei ""A lot of the Homeland Security money went to "hardening" security. What they call it in government is the better mousetrap." We build these things instead of upgrading our work on TB, AIDS, and Malaria which become pandemics that can spread and cause nationwide chaos.

MEGAN: Yeah, we are pretty much just completely fucked. If I hadn't already driven through Kansas, I would say I was gonna move to Kansas to be safe, but I have, so I don't wanna.

LATOYA: Oh I know. When I worked on the Hill, I thought about moving every time we had a terror drill. If something happened, we would be so screwed. And we aren't VIPs!

MEGAN: I sort of disagree, in that we need to be able to watch and chew gum at the same time as a government. As you pointed out earlier, there are major infrastructure flaws that need fixing and those cost money. Thing is, AIDS, malaria and TB are all the purview of Health and Human Services which, luckily, didn't end up at DHS when it was formed (run, FEMA, run away!!). We need to be funding both.

LATOYA: They are — but they also dovetail into terrorism, as in, what's easiest to spread? Again, we're dropping tons of cash on Star Wars, while the terrorists are bombing cars, hijacking planes, and running up on people with machine guns. I think it's time to reevaluate.

MEGAN: AIDS are malaria are, technically, kind of hard to spread. Are they going to breed infected mosquitoes, smuggle them in and release them? Run around pricking everyone in NY with dirty needles?

LATOYA: Again, depends. But like Lo said, they are all different things. Chemical/Biological/Nuclear all have to be evaluated and dealt with separately. But your point I think goes back to evaluating risk. What poses the greatest risk to the citizenry?

MEGAN: True, but I think conflating AIDS funding with terrorism funding hits on one of my pet Washington peeves, which is how people try to tie their pet issue to the thing most likely to generate funding rather than arguing its merits.

LATOYA: No, I agree the tying funds to something unrelated is an annoying Washington tic. But these things are related.

MEGAN: I don't deny the public health crisis, or the need to spend more money on prevention and research on major diseases, but malaria is of virtually no risk to the U.S. population.

LATOYA: Umm...you sure? I just got my health insurance back.

MEGAN: Yeah, I'm sure.

LATOYA: Before then, if there was an outbreak of anything, I might die. I can't remember my last vaccinations.

MEGAN: There are few vaccinations you need as a grown-up other than a tetanus booster, Hep and a flu shot. I, at least, am too old for Gardisil, so there you go.

LATOYA: But then again, I come from a state where a kid died from a tooth abscess, just because of a lack of dental care, so maybe I'm just paranoid like that.

MEGAN: That was so sad! I remember that case. It's such an argument for expanding SCHIP coverage.

LATOYA: It actually did. They named the new dental bus thing we have after that kid, and it lead to Maryland increasing what dentists are paid with Medicaid so more dentists will accept poor patients. So while I would love to think we're immune to things like Malaria, TB, and other things we thought we cured, you never really know. Like TB — we're okay, and the rate is dropping in the US but there is some disturbing news about TB along the border and drug resistant strains in Latin America. Lorelei mentioned ""We're so stuck [in an old way of thinking] - the first thing we do is build a wall." (See Mexico). "There is a mentality that you can contain threats in today's world. And we have to realize we can't - it is no longer possible."

MEGAN: Well, no one argues that we cured malaria or TB, but malaria hasn't been an issue here in a really, really long time. But, I'm all for raising Medicare reimbursement rates, expanding SCHIP coverage, increasing medical research funds, all that stuff. We just don't have to tie it to terrorism to do it, I think.

LATOYA: So we need to look at that. We may not have to tie it to terrorism, but the two agencies should work in tandem. Just like an increased TB risk may have something to do with securing our border with Mexico.

MEGAN: Drug-resistant diseases are sort of a scourge of health care, in part because so many people — particularly in the developing world where care is lacking —- don't finish their course of antibiotics, they stop taking it when they feel better or they take them when they don't need it. Of course, if we talk about drug resistant TB and securing the border, you know it will inflame prejudices when there's been exactly one case of a Mexico businessman who had it and came here and never infected anyone.

LATOYA: Very true. We also talked about the IMF/World Bank and the relationship between capitalism and democracy, but it's about that time Megan.

MEGAN: It is, but for whatever reason Breton Woods made me start singing the song "Norwegian Wood" in my head, so I will go hum that to myself while I post this.

LATOYA: And now, you made me think of Haruki Murakami. Now I just want to read instead of work.

• Seriously? The White House Correspondents dinner must not be what we think it is, because Pamela Anderson, Lauren Conrad and Perez Hilton (and Donatella Versace) are invited. [ONTD]
  
• Newly-engaged Ashlee Simpson says her sister Jessica is "overflowing with joy" and dad Joe has given her and fiancé Pete Wentz his blessing. [People]
  
• Lily Allen was kicked out of the men's room at a club in London — and she was with Razorlight singer Johnny Borrell. [Mirror]
  
• Kate Hudson on PhotoShopping: "I just tend to let those things go. I can't tell you how many covers of magazines I've been on when my eyes were blue. I don't have blue eyes. I have green eyes. So, you just kind of go with it, you know, it's like it is, what it is and that's what people do, you know." [The Star]
  
• A tabloid editor says Jay-Z and Beyoncé's wedding only made the cover of one weekly magazine because "African-Americans don't sell covers." [Gatecrasher]

• "Just good friends" Chris Brown and Rihanna were seen "hugging and dancing" at a birthday party. [Page Six]
• Madonna is expected to appear in court in Malawi in 2 weeks for a final ruling on her adoption. We all know it's gonna happen, right? She's had that kid since 2006. [Reuters]
• An Indian pandit — which is like some kinda spiritual teacher — will travel to Mexico to bless Heidi Klum and hubs Seal on their third wedding anniversary, May 10. Damn, they're so international! [Times Of India]
• Paul McCartney is going on a huge world tour in the fall, and the always-classy UK papers are calling it the "divorce tour." [Mirror]
• Heather Mills said of Paul on morning TV: "I think he's got three different girlfriends so I wish all the girls the best of luck. Better them than me." [Mirror]
• Paula Abdul's boyfriend "isn't too invested" in the relationship and "flirts with a lot of women." [MSNBC]
• Gwyneth Paltrow's mom, Blythe Danner, is swearing up and down that Gwynnie and Chris Martin are happily married. [People]
• Neil Patrick Harris doesn't want Britney back on How I Met Your Mother. "Our show does not need stunt casting in order to succeed," he says. [USA Today]
• That nude photo of Carla Bruni — shot by photographer Michel Comte in 1993 — sold for $91,000, [Guardian]
• Dolly Parton helped a young American bald eagle that had been blown from its nest return to the wild. She named the bird Liberty. "I thought that sounded better than Baldy." [Yahoo News]
• "It doesn't matter how much I get paid for something. Having integrity definitely hurts your buying sprees, but I can sleep at night." —Evan Rachel Wood. [LA Times]
• At the casting for Paris Hilton's new TV show — in which she searches for a "new BFF" — took place yesterday in New York. "It looked like Barbie threw up in there," says a source. "All the girls looked like versions of Donatella Versace. They all had bleached blond hair, too-dark tans and were wearing tight, shiny dresses. All the guys that were there were gay. The whole thing was so bizarre." [Page Six]
• Blind item! "Which rising young actress was informed at a recent film party that Jane Fonda wanted to meet her? "I don't give a shit," came the jaded response." [Gatecrasher]
• Alright stop. Collaborate and listen: Robert Van Winkle, better known as Vanilla Ice, was arrested last night for domestic battery. Apparently he had an argument with his wife and pushed her. [TMZ]
• Sean Diddy Combs needed five stitches after cutting his foot on a champagne glass while partying at his Miami home last weekend. Raise your hand if you want to be barefoot and sipping champagne ASAP. [TMZ]
• Ed Asner to ex-wife: Get a job. [USA Today]
• The 73-year-old 3 foot 8 inch actor who played R2D2 in Star Wars has been hospitalized. May the force be with him. [TMZ]
• OMFG have you seen the new Gossip Girl ad? [TMZ]